Can't
by sable113
Summary: A short one-shot about Yue's reaction to Sokka's wedding. Please read, rate, and review! SokkaxYue and SokkaxSuki


**Disclaimer: If I owned something as cool as Avatar I wouldn't be sitting around writing fanfictions :)**

Today is the day.

It's the day I have been dreading for nearly ten years, yet I knew all along that it would come.

Today he is getting married.

I know I should be happy for him, but the sting of having to let him go still hurts like it happened yesterday. It doesn't matter though. He has probably forgotten me by now anyway. He is happy now, at last, as I always wanted him to be. Happy with another woman.

I want to see him again. To talk to him, to laugh with him, to hold him like I used to. But I can't. Because he isn't mine anymore.

But I decide to go to the wedding anyway. I convince myself that it's just to see him. I won't talk to him, I'll just slip in after it starts and leave before it ends. He won't even know I'm there.

A half hour before the wedding starts, I travel down to earth. I dress in a simple purple gown that won't make me stand out at all. In front of the beautiful Earth Kingdom mansion, I take a deep breath. This is where I will see him at last.

I step through the doors and join the crowd near the back. The bride floats down the aisle, radiant in her pale green dress and wide smile. I still remember that night at the Serpent's Pass when she almost kissed him. I watched as he hesitated. He was thinking of me, I knew. Did he remember the last kiss we shared? Did it feel wrong to him to kiss another girl? I knew then that he had to move on, that memories of me couldn't hold him back anymore.

He is hers now. He isn't mine. That is my mantra as she walks steadily forward. Then I see him.

My heart skips a beat. Because despite everything, I still love him. He looks so handsome in his black suit, his hair neatly combed. Tears well up in my eyes and I quickly dash them away on my sleeve before anyone can see. He is smiling, his eyes on her. She is his world. Not me. Not anymore.

I can't feel bitter, seeing him so happy. I decided after that night at the Serpent's Pass that I wanted nothing more for him than to be happy. And now he is. I'm glad. But that doesn't stop the horrible ache in my gut when I think about what might have been.

The bride reaches him and they take hands. Behind them I see his sister, beautiful in her blue gown, and the Avatar beside her. They are finally engaged, and a new necklace glints around her neck. Beside them is their blind friend, the one I never met. I have seen enough of her though to know what she is like. She is smiling, for she moved on from him years ago. The Fire Lord, his once grim face softened in a grin, is present as well.

They make the vows, lost in each other's eyes. Then they kiss, and my breath catches in my throat. He doesn't kiss her like he kissed me. That kiss was a goodbye. This one is a hello. I can't stop myself and a tear cuts its way down my cheek. I can't tell if I'm crying from happiness or sadness.

Finally the ceremony ends, but I can't bring myself to leave. The newlyweds accept congratulations from everyone, beaming. They start moving slowly in my direction, and my heart pumps. Then his sister drags the bride away and he's the only one coming toward me. Someone shakes his hand, congratulates him, and sends him on. He turns his head, smiling. And suddenly he sees me.

I drop my eyes. But I know he is staring at me like he is seeing a ghost. He is seeing a ghost, I suppose. Finally, I look up. His beautiful blue eyes are confused.

"Yue?" he mouths. And I can't breathe. This is the closest I've been to him in nearly ten years. He takes a step forward and before I know it he's right in front of me.

"Hello," I say, forcing my voice to stay steady. I want to fall into his arms and declare that I still love him. But I can't. I never can.

"Yue," he chokes out. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"I came to see your wedding," I explain evenly. "Congratulations."

"Sokka!" A voice calls out to him, and his new wife grabs his arm. She is grinning. "Hello!" she greets me cheerfully. "Do I know you?"

"No," I manage. "No, you don't."

"Suki," he says quietly, "this – this is Yue."

Her smile slips a little and her eyes widen. "Yue? _The _Yue?"

I nod and look down. What do I say to the man I used to love and his wife? "I – I'm very happy for the both of you."

Silence falls. Then suddenly she steps forward and hugs me. "Thank you," she whispers in my ear.

"No," I murmur back. "Thank you."

She steps away. In a slightly forced voice he says, "Suki? Can I have a word with Yue?"

She nods and walks away, smiling one last time at me. There is a pause, then he speaks.

"I'm sorry."

I am startled. "What for?"

"For not protecting you."

"Sokka, that's in the past," I say gently. "I never blamed you for anything."

He exhales deeply. "I used to think of you all the time, you know. I wondered if you were fine with me being with Suki."

"I'm just glad that you found someone that could make you happy," I say. "I'm glad you found Suki."

"I'll never forget you Yue. As long as I live, whenever I look at the moon I'll think of you."

"I'll be watching over you," I whisper. I smile one last time, and then I leave. Our time together might be over, but he will always be in my heart.


End file.
